


Midnight In The Garden

by SmartBlackRose



Series: Midnight in the Garden [4]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fighting, M/M, Make-up, mention of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 14:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11209911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmartBlackRose/pseuds/SmartBlackRose
Summary: Spencer has a surprising morning when he wakes up in Hotch's bed and Hotch is having a really, really bad day.





	Midnight In The Garden

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's been so long, but I procrastinated because I struggled so much with it. I wrote and rewrote it and I'm not so happy with it, but it's the best I could come up with.

It's midnight in the garden   
And this love you cannot fake 

Reid woke up because the bed shifted and he blinked many times before the curtains were pulled open. He squinted, lights blinding him and he groaned.

“Close”, he mumbled.“You have to go”, Aaron said over him.

Spencer’s eyes shot open and he stared for a moment before yawning.

“Why?”, he wondered.

He saw how panicked Aaron was in his eyes and he quirked an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?”, he asked again.  
“Please. Get dressed and go”, the older man repeated.  
Reid sat up and flung his legs over the edge of the bed. He started to oblige Aaron, but then stopped.

“No.”  
“What?”  
“No. Listen, this is- You can’t switch up the roles, here. I’m the runner. I run from things I fear. You, you cope, you stay and you deal with it. So the freak out you’re having right now, cope with it. This is what you do. I’m going to leave for now, but not forever.”  
“I don’t want you to come back!”, Aaron exploded, throwing him his shirt. “Don’t you understand? This was a mistake!”

Reid gave up on it, because it was too early for that and he didn’t want to have that fight, so he had barely put on his clothes that he had left the house, slamming the door a bit in his anger. They didn’t talk for the whole day, ignoring each other professionally and they went home separately, something they hadn’t done for a week. Hotch found himself unable to sleep, the night felt too hot, the bed felt too empty and the dark felt too scary, so he sat in one of the lounging chairs, pondering on his nightmares.

It had felt so real. Haley was still haunting him, taunting and accusing.

“You killed me”, she said, smiling of a cruel smile. “In the end, you got what you wanted. Spencer, me gone, out of your way.”“It’s not true. It’s not what I wanted”, he protested quietly.  
“Oh come on!”, she exclaimed. “I saw it in your eyes the first time I met him. You wanted to screw each other’s brain out.”  
“I love you. I never wanted you to leave!”, Aaron stated, begging.  
“You never would have asked. But eventually, you would have gone behind my back. We both know it. George Foyet was just convenient”, she chuckled darkly.

Blood was spreading on her shirt and Aaron’s eyes widened, but with a blink, she was gone. He found tears on his cheek, instead, and he wiped them angrily, shaking his head.

“It’s not true”, he murmured to himself.

He looked at the faint stars, thank to light pollution over DC and he felt his phone in his pocket. He took it and sent a wild text message, thinking he wouldn’t have an answer to his apology.

“Can I come over?”, Spencer wondered instead of ignoring him.

He replied by the affirmative and lord knew where the genius had been, but he walked in the garden seven minutes later. He only sat beside the older man, not saying a word while making his presence known. Aaron looked at him, pressing his lips together and he sighed.

“I’m sorry for throwing you out.”  
“Do you want to talk about it?”, Spencer wondered.  
“No”, the older man denied.

Reid cuddled closer and Aaron leaned in, laying his head on his shoulder.

“Is it because you don’t want to or because you don’t want to with me?”  
Hotch watched him for a moment and shook his head.

“It’s not about you.” “You always make it about me when you miss her. Like you’re afraid I won’t understand.” The older man sat back up and stared, mouth slightly open. “It’s not-“, he started but Spencer pressed a hand to his cheek with a soft smile.  
“It’s okay. What I really really don’t like is you feeling guilty of it. You’re allowed to miss her.”  
Aaron nodded and leaned back. Spencer pushed his hair out of his forehead and then kissed it softly. Hotch looked at the door of the house and saw Haley leaning on the wall, smiling at him.


End file.
